The Scary Side Effects Of Social Drinking

We all know what’s in store for us the day after a heavy drinking session - dehydration, tiredness, a headache, nausea and generally feeling terrible. Although we can laugh off a hangover after a day of recovery, there are actually some scary and serious side effects of social drinking that are far more serious than just a hangover.

Heart Arrhythmia

According to award-winning cardiovascular surgeon, Dr David Gruener, drinking to excess on a particular occasion - especially if you don’t normally drink - can trigger irregularities that affect how your heart beats. He explained:

“The heart depends on an internal pacemaker system to keep it pumping consistently and at the right speed. Alcohol disturbs this system and causes the heart to beat too rapidly or irregularly. Over the long term, binge drinking can even change the course of electrical impulses that drive the heart’s beating which creates arrhythmia.”

Fertility Problems

Alcohol is known to cause a range of fertility problems, especially in men. Just five alcoholic drinks per week can decrease sperm quality and quantity and it can even reduce testosterone levels. The chances of miscarriage are also higher and some studies have also suggested that increased alcohol intake in women also correlates to decreased fecundity.

Arthritis

Alcohol increases inflammation in the body which is why anyone who has arthritis will more than likely already know that drinking can make the symptoms even worse.

Fatty Liver

A fatty liver can affect both men and women but as women don’t metabolise alcohol as well as men do, they are more likely to suffer. Fatty liver occurs when fats build up in the liver and it’s most common in heavy, consistent drinkers. Sufferers often don’t have any symptoms aside from feeling tired which can easily be put down to a hangover or just a bad night’s sleep so it’s often left undiagnosed until it gets serious.